Jealousy Isn't Always Sweet
by tanith2
Summary: The team has to find Frank


Disclaimers – I own no-one, Shane does.  
  
Rating – PG13  
  
Summery – The team has to find Frank.  
  
Revenge Isn't Always Sweet  
  
Frank was having a shower after a weekend of sleep and doing nothing much. He had been working hard of late and this was a much needed rest. As the water ran, he thought he heard the post come through the letterbox and carried on showering.  
  
The next thing he knew, a cloth was placed over his mouth roughly and as he started to struggle, he found himself slipping on the tiled floor. Then he noticed a sweet sickly smell on the cloth – chloroform, he'd know that smell anywhere – he could feel himself getting weaker and gradually blacking out.  
  
Two men wrapped a blanket round the man and carried him out of his apartment, unseen by anyone and he was bundled into a car waiting at the back entrance to the block. The car drove off at high speed, tyres screeching on the road.  
  
  
  
At the office, the team were having coffee waiting for Frank to arrive. They had some unfinished work to do and needed him to bring the data he had and feed it into the computer.  
  
"It's not like Frank to be late" said Jake "Must have been a good weekend"  
  
"Get your mind out of the gutter" replied Alex "Not everyone has your sort of weekends"  
  
"What do you mean by that?" he retorted.  
  
"You know very well what I mean. Bars, drink and women, that's your weekend. Maybe Frank went fishing" she said.  
  
They laughed at this comment and she shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"Okay maybe he didn't go fishing but that doesn't mean he was womanizing all weekend"  
  
Cody was on the phone trying to get through to Franks apartment but all he got was a disconnected signal. He looked up at the others.  
  
"Since when did Frank get his phone cut off" he said.  
  
They all looked up and then at one another. Grabbing their coats they hurried out of the office leaving Monica and Cody there in case he turned up.  
  
"What do you thinks happened to him?" asked Jake.  
  
"I have no idea but I know his phone hasn't been cut off. Let's hope there is a simple explanation and that we are going to get a lecture for being over protective" replied Alex.  
  
They pulled up outside Franks apartment and walked up the stairs. Getting to the right floor, they saw that the door was still open to Franks apartment. Drawing their guns, they slowly crept up to it and went in. making sure no-one was hiding behind the door, they ventured further into the room.  
  
"Sounds like the shower running" said Jake.  
  
Making their way to the bathroom, they slowly pushed open the door and saw the water running but no sign of Frank. Alex went to check on the bedroom while Jake turned off the water. Seeing a cloth on the floor, he picked it up and sniffed it. Pulling a face he shouted for Alex.  
  
"Chloroform – I think Franks been kidnapped and recently too" he said.  
  
"The phones been pulled out of the wall, that is why Cody got the disconnected signal. Let's see if anyone saw anything. I'll ring the others"  
  
After she had hung up, she joined Jake at one of the other apartments but no-one had seen a thing nor heard a thing. He could only have been taken recently as the water was still running warm but it was early and no-one seemed to take any notice if there had been a noise outside.  
  
Going back to the car, they decided to head back to the office and take it from there.  
  
"Any sign of him?" asked Cody as they walked in.  
  
"No, nothing. There was no sign of a struggle so either he knew the person or he was taken by surprise and using the chloroform I would say the latter is more likely"  
  
They all sat down, wondering what to do next. They decided to get in touch with FBI agent Bradford, he had known Frank before and might know anyone who could have a motive to kidnap him. They would look at the cases they had all worked on in recent months, since he took over UC.  
  
Bradford arrived an hour later and brought with him all he had on anyone that could have down this. Maybe between them they could discover who have taken Frank. On the other hand, they could get a phone call with a ransom demand.  
  
  
  
Frank was driven quite a few miles and then the vehicle came to a halt outside an empty looking house down a long drive, well away from any road. He was taken out of the car and into the house.  
  
Laying him on the bed, the men tied him up and left him. One of them picked up the phone in the living room and dialed a long number. A click at the other end signaled them that it had been answered and they put the receiver down on the speaker phone.  
  
"Sir, the job is done. The package is here waiting further instructions" said one of the men.  
  
"Well down" said a muffled voice "Keep him there, feed him, make him comfortable but tied up. I will be there in two days. Then your job will be done. You will be paid and I will take over"  
  
"Yes sir, no problem"  
  
The phone clicked again and the man was gone. They went to the car and brought out the food and drink that would keep them going for a couple of days. Then one of them went and looked at Frank. He would be out for a few hours yet. They had brought some clothes with them and the man dressed him and retied his hands and feet.  
  
"Any idea why this man wants Donovan?" asked one of the men.  
  
"None at all, but we are being paid well to do this. As long as we get the rest of the money day after tomorrow, I don't care what he does with him. I am out of the country. Things are getting too hot around here for me"  
  
It was about 4pm when Frank woke up to find himself tied to a bed in a strange house. He tried to move but they were too tight. He called out to see if anyone was there. His head was thumping, he hated chloroform, he had experience of it before and he hated it.  
  
"Well, you are awake. Don't worry, we are not going to hurt you, we were just paid to bring you here and keep you comfortable" said one of the men.  
  
"What do you mean paid to bring me here, by who…who wants me here?"  
  
"You will find out day after tomorrow, the man in question will be here then and we will be gone. You hungry or thirsty?"  
  
"Thirsty yes" he replied.  
  
He knew from experience that struggling to escape would do him no good at all. To survive a kidnapping you had to keep your head and humor the kidnappers as long as you could. It could save your life in the end. He knew that his team would know by now that something had happened and would be looking for him.  
  
One of the men came back and brought a tray while the other man loosened the ropes and redid them in such a way that Frank could at least move and eat what they had brought in.  
  
"I don't suppose you have any aspirins, my head is killing me" asked Frank.  
  
"I'll look, but don't even think of trying anything. We may not want to hurt you but we will if we really have to, understand"  
  
Frank nodded and waited to see if the man brought the aspirins back in. He did and put them in Franks mouth, handed him a glass of water and waited for him to swallow them before bringing the tray over. Then they left him alone.  
  
  
  
Cody had punched in all data into the computer but they had come up with only two names of men that could have been responsible for Franks disappearance.  
  
"Well this one is inside, in solitary, no chance of him doing anything and the other one is dead. He was killed about a month ago in a road accident. So no what?" asked Monica.  
  
"We wait, someone has to phone with a ransom demand" replied Bradford.  
  
"But we can't just sit around, I'm no anyway" retorted Alex.  
  
She was about to storm out when the phone rang. They looked at each other as Cody flicked on the open channel and answered it.  
  
"Hello, who is this please?" he asked.  
  
"Ah Cody isn't it. Well I take it all of the team can hear me. I expect you are missing one member today. How sad for you" said a male voice.  
  
"Who are you and what do you want, where's Frank?"  
  
"Questions, questions, questions. Let me address them in order please Cody. First of all, who am I? Don't you recognize my voice, you should Jake, you killed my son"  
  
Jake jumped up at that comment.  
  
"Ortega!"  
  
"Correct Jake. Ortega. Bet you never thought you would ever hear from me again. Now what do I want? I want nothing, I have what I want, Fransisco Donovan. As for where is he? He is safe for the moment but he won't be for long"  
  
Alex shouted at the receiver.  
  
"How much do you want to let Frank go?"  
  
The man laughed on the other end of the phone. When he finally stopped.  
  
"I do not want any money for his return. He is not being returned Alex. Just as my son was never returned to me. I have him in place of my son Raphael. He is going to die like my son. Oh not as quickly, he will suffer"  
  
"Ortega, let Frank go, I was the one who killed your son, not him. If you want anyone, take me"  
  
"Such loyalty Jake. I must tell Frank, he will be so proud of you, before he dies. He was in charge Jake, he was responsible. Now I am going to responsible for the death of Frank Donovan. The method of his death will be such that you will never find him in time. But I wish you luck in trying. I will even give you a clue, a starting point. The oil company in the city, room 222. good luck my friends"  
  
With that the phone went dead.  
  
"Jesus, what do we do now. He means it, if he doesn't want a ransom, then Frank is dead unless we can find him and quickly" said Alex.  
  
They went down to the cars and drove to the oil company and took the elevator to room 222. The door was unlocked. Opening it slowly, they found the room empty except for a large wreath on a stand. There was a note attached to it. Alex read it.  
  
FRANK DONOVAN – HIS DEATH A REVENGE FOR THE DEATH OF RAPHAEL, SON OF ORTEGA, MAY HE NEVER REST IN PEACE  
  
O  
  
PS There will be no more clues. Good luck, at least he is getting a wreath which is more than my son ever did, he never had that respect.  
  
Jake picked up the wreath and threw it at the wall. This was frustrating, where the hell did they start looking, time was running out.  
  
"Come on Alex let's go back and find everything we can on Ortega, there has to be something somewhere that we can use to find Frank"  
  
  
  
For nearly two days Frank had been tied up only being allowed to move to use the bathroom. He was playing it cool but inside he was scared. He had no idea who was behind this nor why.  
  
The men holding him were okay, they had kept their word and had not hurt him. He was being well taken care of despite the ropes. But he did feel like someone on death row, waiting for the preacher to appear.  
  
'Death row' now there was a gruesome thought and how true it could become. He hoped that his team would be able to find him before it was too late.  
  
A car pulled up outside and a man got out. The two men holding Frank went to meet him. He handed them a case full of money and told them that he would have his driver take them to the airport.  
  
He smiled as he watched the car pull away knowing that the two men would never see the airport again. He couldn't take the risk of them being caught and telling the police about Frank. Within an hour they would be dead. He walked into the house and into the room where the man was being held.  
  
"Ortega" said Frank as he saw him come in.  
  
"Fransico, my good friend. I hope you have been treated well" he said.  
  
"What do you want Ortega?"  
  
The man lit a cigar and looking out of the window for a while he turned to Frank.  
  
"Your life my friend, for the life you took from my son"  
  
"He deserved to die, maybe not in way it happened but he was on a death sentence. I am sorry about his death but killing me won't bring him back"  
  
"No that is true, but I will sleep better knowing that I have had my revenge. You see after my son died, my wife became ill and now she is dying. Soon I will have no-one left. So in a way you are responsible for both their deaths"  
  
Frank tried to sit up and talk to Ortega, they had got a good thing going for a while back then but it all went to pieces when the attorney general had secured Raphaels release and it all went pear-shaped.  
  
"My team will find….."  
  
"NO, no no, they won't find you. I have made sure of that. No-one will find you. When my driver comes back we will be taking you to a little airstrip and then onto my house. From there your last journey will take place"  
  
With that the man left him to go and wait for his driver. Frank was even more worried now that he knew who his captor was. He knew that if the team didn't find him then he would not survive this one.  
  
  
  
"Well all we know is that Ortega lives on a remote island about 50 miles south of Hawaii. Bought just after the war by his father. It is well guarded, it would not be easy getting on it. The island is not even on some maps it is so small" said Jake.  
  
"What did he mean by the wreath was more than his son got?" asked Bradford.  
  
"I made some enquiries" replied Cody "It seems that Raphael was never given back to his father for burial or anything. The prison service kept the body and it was buried in an unmarked grave. Don't ask me why all the information is top secret"  
  
Bradford picked up the phone and started to dial a number.  
  
"Well it won't stay secret for long, Donovans life is at stake, someone had better have some answers"  
  
The team left him to go and get some coffee, there was nothing they could do at the moment and they were all feeling frustrated at deal. Alex stood by the small window and drank her coffee. Tears stung her eyes. She had seen one boss die, she didn't want to see another one go the same way. At least not Frank. Throwing her mug down, Alex stormed out of the room down to the gym. She always went down there when she got uptight and needed to take out her anger on something.  
  
"Why is she taking it so hard?" asked Monica.  
  
"You are the head expert, if you were that good you would know she is falling for our Frank" said Jake.  
  
"ALEX, never. How could anyone fall for Frank. I mean…he is a good boss but romance material…no way" she replied.  
  
"Well I think you are wrong about that, in fact I would lay a years salary on it"  
  
Monica couldn't believe that Alex was in love with Frank. He was certainly not her sort of man, moody, miserable, workaholic , the list went on.  
  
Alex took off her top and punched the bag till her hands were sore, why was she feeling like this. The last time she was in this state was when their first boss was killed and she was in love with him. In love -no…could she really be falling for Frank. It was crazy and yet…she sank down to the floor, her arms wrapped round her knees and tears fell freely. This was how Jake found her a few minutes later when he came in to check she was okay.  
  
"Come on Alex…we'll find him, somehow we'll find him. Does he know how you feel about him?" he asked.  
  
"I have only just realized how I feel about him…oh God Jake…I can't lose someone else I love…I just can't and no Frank would have no idea"  
  
Jake pulled her into his arms and held her. There was no more to it than that, they were friends after all. Somehow they had to find him, one way or another.  
  
  
  
Frank wondered what Ortega had in store for him. So far he had been treated with kid gloves but he knew it wouldn't last. Bu he couldn't have been more wrong about how he was to die, he was about to experience the ultimate horror.  
  
Ortega bundled him into the car and they drove to a small airstrip where a private jet was waiting. Frank was put in the plane and this time allowed to sit there without being tied up. Three hours later they landed at Ortega's private airstrip and then handcuffed, he was led across the lawns up to the house.  
  
Once inside he was taken down to the basement where he was put in a room with the door locked and no windows. It was stuffy in there and although he had no handcuffs on, there was no way he could escape.  
  
"Give him some food and water, I will be back later" said Ortega "And be careful, I know this man, he will not sit by and not try to escape. If he does, tie him up"  
  
  
  
"That was the police, they have found two men near the airport. Looks like a murder but one of them was still alive" said Cody.  
  
"So what has it got to do with us?" asked Alex "That is a police matter"  
  
"The dead man had Franks wallet in his pocket"  
  
This remark made them all look up and hurry over to Cody.  
  
"What about the one still alive?"  
  
"He is at the general hospital under guard. He isn't expected to survive the night, he took 6 bullets and they say they are surprised that he lived this long"  
  
"Then we had better get over there" said Alex grabbing her coat.  
  
"You and Jake go, the rest stay here" said Bradford "We still have to get a plan together"  
  
Cody waited till the other two had left the office and then he turned to Bradford.  
  
"Forgive Bradford, but we only told you as a matter of course. He was OUR boss and we will find him…our way, okay"  
  
"Okay I was only trying to help, it's my job"  
  
"The only way you can help is to find out why Raphaels body wasn't given back to his father. Nothing has come of that yet"  
  
Bradford knew he was onto a loser here, they certainly didn't need anyone helping them and he didn't have the authority to insist. They were employed by the government, in particular the president, who seems to be a friend of Donovans. He would let them lead the investigation but he had to stay, these were his orders.  
  
Alex and Jake arrived at the hospital and were allowed into see the man, he was conscious which was surprising and they bent over him as he lay there wired up to machines. His name was Adams.  
  
"Adams, can you hear me?" asked Alex.  
  
"Yes, who are you?" he whispered.  
  
"We are friends of Frank Donovan, can you tell us where he is?"  
  
"I'm dying right!" he said.  
  
"Yes you are" replied Jake. "Won't survive the night"  
  
"Jake!"  
  
"Well we are here about Frank not diplomatic relations"  
  
She wasn't happy with his attitude, the man was dying after all but if they alienated him, he might not tell them anything.  
  
"Yes, you are dying, now can you help us, we need to find our friend" she said.  
  
The man told her everything he knew, the house, the money and the fact that they were flying out when they had gotten paid. But then the driver killed his friend and left him for dead as well. He told them he had no idea who the man was who paid them.  
  
"We just agreed to the job, no questions asked"  
  
"Was Frank hurt?"  
  
"No, we were told to treat him with kid gloves and we did. He was fine when we left"  
  
"Thank you" said Alex "You have been a great help"  
  
Jake was going to question him some more but Alex dragged him away.  
  
"He told us all we need to know, all he knows, I believe him. Let's get the others and go to this house, see if we can find out anything else."  
  
When they got back to the office, Cody had been busy and found out that a private jet had left the area, the day before and had a flight plan that led to an island in the pacific.  
  
"So Frank is on his island, how do we get there. He will spot us a mile away, the place is too well guarded"  
  
"We go in at night, I have arranged for a boat to take us as close as we can without being picked up on radar. Then we are on our own"  
  
"A boat…it is a US Navy Frigate, not a boat" said Monica. "We leave for LA in an hour where the 'ship' picks us up in two day time"  
  
"Two days, why that late. We need to find him now"  
  
"The Navy are on exercise, they are doing us a favor. We would have heard from Ortega if Frank was already dead. He would delight in telling us"  
  
  
  
Frank was woken up by the door being unlocked. He had been there almost a day and he had finished the meal that had been brought in. the room also had a small toilet in a cupboard that did him.  
  
Ortega came in and sat on the chair opposite the bed. He looked pale and drawn, the light in the room allowed Frank to see him properly for the first time since his capture.  
  
"How long am I going to be kept here?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know, yet. It depends on when my wife dies. As long as she lives, you live my friend. But when she does die, then you will be joining her. For on that day, my life will be over. I will have lost all my family, the only things in the world that ever meant anything to me"  
  
"But you will have to live with that and my death on your conscience"  
  
"I have no conscience Fransisco, I have spent my life killing people who have not pleased me. Their deaths have not bothered me, yours will not bother me. When my wife and you are dead, and all the final things have been done, then I will end my own life. I will have nothing to live for then"  
  
"I could escape or my team could rescue me. That would end your plans and you will spend the rest of your life in prison" said Frank.  
  
"Yes you could and yes they could. But let me tell you. You would not get far, the place is heavily guarded and you would be shot before you reached the end of the lawn. As for your friends, I have radar that would tell me as soon as someone tried to get any where near the island. Anyway they have no idea where you are. I will inform them of your death though"  
  
"You have really planned this out haven't you"  
  
Ortega got up and walked over to Frank. He showed him a picture of his son.  
  
"This is all I have of my son. Your government wouldn't let me bring him home for a proper burial. For a year I have planned your demise and I am looking forward to it my friend. So yes I have thought of everything"  
  
As he turned to leave, Frank took a chance and went to jump him but Ortega must have anticipated this and a gun was thrust into Franks chest before he could even do much.  
  
"Oh dear Frank…I thought you might try something but I didn't think you would be so stupid as to jump me"  
  
Ortega hit him across the face with the butt of the gun and Frank fell against the bed, stunned with blood running down his chin.  
  
"Ortega…how long has your wife got?"  
  
"About two or three days…not long. Your food will be sent in, don't try anything else. This time my guards will have orders to kill you"  
  
As the door closed, Frank slowly lifted himself onto the bed, his face hurt like hell and he wondered if his chin wasn't broken but feeling around he found that it wasn't. He lay on the bed, his face throbbing.  
  
His thoughts turned to Alex for some reason, he wished she was here right now. He could talk to her and she made him feel comfortable.  
  
"Please get here soon" he said out loud.  
  
  
  
Not only would it be two days before the ship picked them up but it would also be about another two days before they reached the island where they would take a small boat to the island along the back water and hopefully without anyone seeing them.  
  
"Alex you okay?" asked Jake as they stood on the ship.  
  
"Yes, just worried like the rest of you" she said.  
  
"When we find him, please tell him how you feel about him. I think he might feel the same"  
  
She turned to him and smiled.  
  
"If I could just believe that. Frank is too selfish to have a relationship with anyone. So am I"  
  
"The perfect match then" said Jake walking away.  
  
The others were getting restless and frustrated that they could do nothing but sit around. Nothing had been heard from Ortega and the longer the time scale, the less chance they had of finding Frank alive.  
  
No matter how they tried they could not find out why the body of his son had not been given back. All the information was top secret and even the president couldn't persuade the joint chiefs the help.  
  
  
  
Back on the island, Ortegas wife had died during the night. He was devastated but keep in control as he went about the arrangements for her funeral and Frank Donovans death.  
  
He went to the kitchens and told the cook that he would take Franks meal to him this time. When the cook had left, Ortega mixed a white powder with the meal and then carried the tray down to where the man was.  
  
The stuff wouldn't kill him but render him semi conscious so that he could be taken to where he would die without causing him any problems. He unlocked the door and took the tray in.  
  
"Your last meal before you die Fransisco. Tomorrow will be your last day on this mortal coil" said Ortega.  
  
"Ortega please, I never meant for your son to die at our hands but he was going to die. The judge made sure of that. You don't need to kill me to get your revenge" pleaded Frank.  
  
"I am not blaming you personally my friend. I know Jake was the one to pull the trigger. But you are the establishment, one of the top people who sent my son to prison in the first place. The people who wanted him dead. Now I want you dead"  
  
Frank picked at the food, he wasn't really hungry. Now that Ortega had told him when he was going to die, he really started getting worried. There had been no sign of his team. They either didn't know he was missing or couldn't find out where he was. Either way, he was in trouble, deep trouble.  
  
"I take it your wife died. You have my condolences"  
  
"Don't patronize me Frank Donovan. Nothing you say will make me change your mind."  
  
As he went to shut the door, he told Frank that a frigate had been spotted sailing towards the island. But if that was his team, they would never make it in time.  
  
After pacing the floor for a while, Frank sat down and ate the meal that had been brought him. He would have to think of a plan to try and escape as soon as Ortega took him out of the room tomorrow. He would need his strength, he hadn't been given much food since being there just enough to ward off the hunger.  
  
Not long after he had finished, Frank started to feel dizzy and he suddenly realized that Ortega must have put something in the food. He tried to stand up and bang on the door but he never made it. He collapsed to the floor, not fully unconscious but enough to render him unable to move.  
  
  
  
Cody had permission to monitor the computer to try and find out anything that might help them in finding Frank. Then a message came over the loudspeaker.  
  
"Would the UC team come up to the bridge, thank you"  
  
They all made their way to where the Captain of the frigate was waiting for them. He was looking at a map on the table.  
  
"What is it, have you seen something?" asked Monica.  
  
"No, but we have had a call that Ortega is leaving the island to go to LA where the funeral of his wife is going to take place the day after tomorrow. Apparently, she has been dying for a while now. He is due to return to the island directly after the funeral"  
  
"That is great, we can go onto the island and find Frank while he is there. Okay there will be guards but we can see to them. Can we have any of your men Captain"  
  
"He leaves tomorrow night, you will land on the island and wait till the jet leaves. Then you go and get Frank and we will pick you up"  
  
He looked at them and brought out a piece of paper from his pocket. He had had instructions from the President himself to give them any help he could. The list contained the names of ten men who were willing to help them.  
  
They went back to the deck and talked.  
  
"Thank God his wife died, now we can get Frank" said Alex.  
  
"Yes but will we be too late. It has been a week now, he could be dead already" replied Cody.  
  
"No…no I won't believe that" she said "I have to believe, we have to believe that he is still alive somewhere on that island"  
  
The next day, the team and the ten men transferred to one of the boats from the frigate and would land on the island in that. The frigate would then turn around and keep a safe distance from the island until they got a signal to come and get them.  
  
They had not gone more than half a mile when shells whizzed over head and exploded quite close to the frigate. It began evasive action.  
  
"Jesus…he knows the ship is here. he is going to try and blow it up" yelled Cody.  
  
"Well if they don't get out of there, they will get blown up" replied one of the men.  
  
The ship zigzagged away from them and two more shells went by the boat, heading for the frigate. One missed but the other one hit it aft right by the rudder. Smoke and flames poured out of the ship and they could see men running about trying to put out the fire. No more shells were fired.  
  
The boat landed on the far side of the island and they all got out. No-one was going to go anywhere near the house or grounds until they knew that Ortega had flown out in his jet.  
  
It was about 4pm when they heard the engines of a jet start up and half hour later, they saw it fly over them, heading for the main land. That was their cue to go in for Frank.  
  
  
  
Frank was laying on the floor when Ortega and one of his men came in later that night. He moaned as the man picked him up and slung him over his shoulder and took him out of the room.  
  
Ortega followed them up the stairs to the large lounge where a coffin sat on a platform. On the sofa was the body of his wife, wrapped in white cloth edged with gold.  
  
"Okay put him in the coffin and then lay my wife on top of him"  
  
This the man did and put the lid on the coffin. But instead of screwing the lid down, he waited. Ortega went to a drawer in his desk and took out a bottle. Going over to the coffin, he tied a handkerchief over his nose and mouth and unscrewed the bottle, then as the man lifted the lid slightly he poured the contents inside. Then the lid was screwed down.  
  
"Right, get one of the other men and carry the coffin out to the jet and load it on board. We will leave at 4pm. Then the great Frank Donovan will go on his last ride with my beloved wife"  
  
Frank was conscious enough to be aware of his surrounding and felt himself being carried and then laid down. Something was put on top of him and then darkness closed in. A crack of light came in the darkness and suddenly a smell, the same smell as at his apartment the day he was kidnapped. Any feelings he was having faded out as the chloroform did it's job.  
  
  
  
Once the jet had gone, the team and the naval men made their way up to the house. It seemed strange but they only encountered two guards by the airstrip, which they dealt with easily. They split up into small groups so that they could search the whole place quicker. All the naval men searched the grounds and outbuildings while they went into the house.  
  
"I can't understand why there are only two guards here. They must be hiding and waiting till we can't go anywhere. Just be careful" said Jake.  
  
"You two go upstairs, we'll search down here" said Alex.  
  
It took them half an hour to search the whole house and that only left the basement. Frank had to be down there, there was nowhere else. They walked down the stairs and looked through the wine cellar and storerooms, then they found the small room.  
  
"Look, ropes, empty plates and bottles of water. Someone has been here" said Cody.  
  
"Yes but where is he now. We've searched the whole place and nothing" said Alex.  
  
They all went upstairs to the main room and found one of the men looking at something on the floor.  
  
"We found this on the table and there are traces of it on the carpet here"  
  
Cody took the bottle and smelt it. He pulled a face.  
  
"Chloroform, and only recently been used, it is still quite strong. Look over there, a wooden platform where something has been standing on it"  
  
The rest of the men came in and told them that they had found nothing anywhere in the grounds. Cody paced the floor thinking while Jake looked at the platform. Suddenly he turned to the rest of them.  
  
"You laugh at me sometimes when you find me reading classic literature. But has any of you ever read Sherlock Holmes, the London detective"  
  
The members of the team shook their heads, wondering what the hell he was going on about. But one of the men who were with them spoke.  
  
"I have, I have studied the author for many years, not much I don't know about him. What are you thinking?"  
  
"Cody for Gods sake, we don't want a lecture on your silly books" shouted Alex.  
  
"Shutup a minute. Roberts isn't it" he asked looking at the name tag.  
  
"Yes it is" replied the man.  
  
"Think very carefully, there was a story about a woman I believe who had an affair or something with this man and then they tried to get rid of her because of her money. There was something about a coffin in it"  
  
The man thought very hard about all the stories he had read of Sherlock Holmes.  
  
"There were several that involved coffins, maybe there is a library here with his books in it"  
  
"There is a library down the hall, what the hell are you looking for?" asked Monica.  
  
"I'll tell when we have found it. Make yourself useful, make some coffee, we aren't going anywhere just yet." Replied Cody.  
  
Alex was getting very angry and it took Jake and Monica to calm her down and take her into the kitchen to make some coffee. The men followed them in.  
  
"Look Cody is on to something or he wouldn't be doing this. Frank isn't here and we can't get back to the ship till the tide comes in, not unless we hurl the boat across the island. We came in up the river inlet, remember"  
  
Cody and Roberts searched the library and found a collections of Holmes stories on the top shelf. Taking them down, they sat and went through them one by one. The others came in with the coffee and waited. The men had gone outside.  
  
About an hour later Roberts jumped up and took the book in his hands over to Cody.  
  
"Got it, I knew there was one. It is called the Disappearance of Lady Francis Carfax. At the end of the story, the man's mother dies and he uses a very deep coffin to bury her in. no-one really thinks much of it until Holmes realizes that it is big enough for two people. They arrive at the cemetery just as the coffin has been lowered into the ground. When they take the lid off they find the woman, under the dead mother, unconscious. If they hadn't got there when they did, she would have suffocated and no- one would ever have known she was in there"  
  
"So what the hell has this got to do with…oh my God…you think Ortega has put Frank under his wife in the coffin"  
  
"Yes I do" said Cody "And she is due for burial tomorrow"  
  
"If we don't get there in time, Frank will suffocate to death, with no way of getting out"  
  
"He wouldn't get out on his own anyway, Alex" said Roberts. "There was enough chloroform there to knock out ten people. He won't know anything about it"  
  
They all ran out of the house and down to the boat. Another hour and the tide would be in and they could return to the frigate. Then a thought struck them, what if the frigate was too badly damaged to sail back to the main land.  
  
"Hang on" shouted Jake "we have to find another way of getting to the mainland, it will be two days before the ship docks, that will be too late"  
  
"Sir, would a light aircraft help" said one of the other men.  
  
"Yeah, but where do we find one of them?" said Monica.  
  
"In one of the buildings over there" he replied "There are two light aircraft in one of them"  
  
Jake grabbed the man and told him he was a genius and they all ran to the building behind the man. Inside was two aircraft, one looked like it was being repaired but the other was in perfect condition.  
  
"Great, let's get it outside and get back to LA" shouted Jake.  
  
Half hour later, the plane took off, leaving the men to return to the frigate alone. Only Roberts went with them, there were instructions that at least one of the men had to go with them where ever they went, for their own protection. Not that they couldn't take care of themselves of course, but they didn't argue.  
  
  
  
Ortega knew that the team would probably find out about his wife so he had given out false information about the funeral. They thought it was going to be the next afternoon when in fact it was going to be at 9am in the morning. He was taking no chances.  
  
They arrived at the cemetery by 8.45am and the vicar led the man, the coffin and two mourners to the graveside where a large hole had been dug to accommodate the large size coffin. The service itself took about ten minutes and then at exactly 9am the coffin was lowered into the hole.  
  
Ortega paid the gravediggers who were waiting close by, an extra $200 each if they would fill the hole in immediately rather than wait till they got the digger in when there were half a dozen to be done in one go.  
  
They didn't mind, $200 was a lot to them and they thanked him and set about their task.  
  
By 9.30am, Ortega was on his way back to his jet, his task over, his wife buried and Frank Donovan, who would be dead within a few hours. The air would soon go even with him being unconscious and no-one would ever find him.  
  
  
  
The team arrived in La and with the help of the police, went through every cemetery to see when and where Ortegas wife was being buried. There were hundreds in the area and after a few hours, well into the night, they came up with a blank.  
  
"So where else is there to look, there are no Ortegas being buried in the next week anywhere in LA" said Monica.  
  
"Well you have all the cemeteries, unless he is using one outside the area." Said one of the police.  
  
"How many are there?" asked Cody.  
  
"A lot, do you want to start on them?" he asked.  
  
By 6am, they had come up with nothing. They were getting very angry and then someone came up with the idea that he could be having her cremated. So they reluctantly started on the crematoriums just in case. As they were on the C section of the list, Roberts came running in.  
  
"I've found it" he shouted.  
  
They all looked up and he ran over to where they were sitting.  
  
"Look, it isn't under the name Ortega it is under the name Raphael. His son"  
  
"Of course, he would make everything harder just in case we did find out anything. Where is it and what time?" asked Cody.  
  
"Forest Lawn cemetery at…at 9am" he said.  
  
They all looked at the clock on the wall, it was 8.45am, they only had fifteen minutes to get there. Rushing out of the building they got into a black and white and it tore off at breakneck speed. But even with the sirens going and jumping all the lights, they were still on the freeway at 9.10.  
  
By the time they reached the gates of the Forest Lawn it was 9.25am, the funeral had been over for twenty five minutes. The vicar came running our of his office at the sound of the police car. They jumped out and over to him.  
  
"The burial of Raphael at 9am this morning, where is it?" shouted Cody.  
  
"That funeral is over I am afraid, you are too late" he said.  
  
"We will be too late if you don't tell us where it took place" said Jake grabbing the vicar by his robes.  
  
"I am sorry but you can't just gatecrash this place, there are other funerals going on" he said.  
  
"Look, we believe that the man who was at the funeral, has buried a man in the coffin who is still alive. Now where…is…the…hole" said Jake in the mans face.  
  
"This way" said the vicar running off.  
  
They all ran after him across the grass and over the hill at the end of the first drive way.  
  
"It's over there, two men who work here are filling it in as we speak"  
  
The team took off leaving the vicar puffing and panting behind them and saw in the distance, two men nearly finished shoveling the dirt in the hole.  
  
"STOP…DIG IT UP, QUICKLY" shouted Cody.  
  
The men looked up and saw four people running towards them with the vicar and some police close behind. They wondered what the hell was going on. Cody and Jake grabbed the shovels and started digging and the other two dug with their hands.  
  
"What is going on?" said one of the men to the vicar.  
  
"It seems there is a man in there who is not dead"  
  
The two men ran to their truck and grabbed two more shovels and joined the two men already digging. The two girls got off their knees and let them do the digging. Alex was pacing up and down.  
  
"Come on, hurry up" she said loudly.  
  
It took the four men about ten minutes to uncover the coffin and then they jumped down on top of it.  
  
"Crowbar…get me a crowbar" shouted Jake. "The rest of you get out, there is not enough room otherwise"  
  
One of the men threw him a crowbar and he prized off the lid. The smell of chloroform hit him as the lid came away. Then Cody jumped in beside him and they lifted the dead woman out. Underneath they found Frank.  
  
"Get him out of there and someone get an ambulance" shouted Alex.  
  
"The ambulance is already here, look" said the vicar.  
  
The men lifted Franks limp form onto the grass and felt his pulse. There was none. Putting his head in position they started CPR on their boss. By the time the ambulance drove up, they still hadn't got a pulse. The doctor took over, giving instructions to his assistant to get the machine to shock him.  
  
After four attempts they got a pulse, weak but it was there, then they put in a line and injected him with something. Covering him with a blanket, they lifted him into the ambulance. Alex got in with him, the others would follow in the police car.  
  
Two of the police stayed behind to find out what they could about what had happened there and to get the womans body taken somewhere until it could be buried at a later date. They would need the coffin as evidence.  
  
Alex held Franks hand in the ambulance, it was so cold and just rested in hers.  
  
"Come on Frank…just hang on…we'll soon be there" she whispered.  
  
Within ten minutes they were at the hospital and he was rushed into crash. She was told to wait outside which she wasn't happy with. As she waited the others arrived and a nurse showed them to a room where they could wait in comfort instead of the corridor.  
  
"They will be a while yet but someone will let you know what is happening as soon as they can"  
  
For what seemed like hours they waited and then Jakes phone rang, he answered it. After a few minutes he hung up.  
  
"Two of us have to go downtown to the police station, they have arrested Ortega at the airstrip. They need us before they can charge him"  
  
"Okay, you and Alex stay here, we'll go down. Ring us as soon as you know anything" replied Cody.  
  
They went, leaving Alex and Jake in the room. Alex was sitting on the chair and had her head in her hands, she didn't want anything Jake offered her. About two hours later, one of the doctors came in.  
  
"Are you with Mr Donovan?"  
  
"Yes how is he doctor?" asked Jake.  
  
"We don't know yet?" he replied.  
  
"What the hell do you mean you don't know, you're supposed to be doctor" yelled Alex.  
  
"Alex…let him finish"  
  
She apologized and let him continue.  
  
"As I was saying, we don't know yet. He is in ICU, but he is in a bad way. Being drugged and then buried in a coffin with chloroform hasn't done him any good. His kidneys may pack up, they are not functioning as they should. He is on a ventilator and has not regained consciousness yet"  
  
"Why a ventilator and when will he wake up?" asked Jake.  
  
"His lungs are not working, as simple as that, they could improve over the next day or so but we won't be taking him off yet. As for waking up, you have to be prepared for the fact that he may never wake up and if he does, we will have no way of knowing how much brain damage could have been caused by the starvation of oxygen"  
  
"Can we see him?" asked Alex tears running down her face.  
  
The doctor said yes and led them through the corridors and up the stairs to the ICU where they were shown into a room. Frank was wired up to machines, including the one that was breathing for him. They thanked him and pulling up a couple of chairs, sat beside him.  
  
"Oh God Jake…what are we going to do?"  
  
"All we can do is be here and hope he pulls through. There is nothing more"  
  
The doctor came back in about half hour later and told them that they would have to leave as this was ICU and he needed to check on Frank every few minutes, he had left him long enough.  
  
"Come back tomorrow, we will ring you if there is any change, good or bad" he said.  
  
"Thank you doctor and I am sorry for my outburst earlier" said Alex.  
  
"Don't worry, I have had a lot worse. Now please, try not to worry too much, he is in good hands"  
  
She kissed his forehead before she left and then they walked down to the street to get a taxi to the police station. But she needed a cigarette and lit one as they walked alone the street. Coming to a bench they sat down and Jake put an arm round her shoulders. He had no idea she felt this way about their boss.  
  
"I'm scared Jake, the last man I loved died and now Frank" she said.  
  
"Alex he is not dead yet, don't even go there. He will pull through, I am sure he will. He is strong, stubborn and selfish, as we know, he'll make it"  
  
"And he is loving, gentle and has a soft side. But I fell for the whole package. Do you know when I fell in love with him"  
  
Jake shook his head and listened to her.  
  
"That day I went to the gym and he found me smoking a cigarette. He talked to me like I mattered and then had a go about smoking in there. That was when I fell for him. Stupid isn't it"  
  
"No, I knew you loved someone and it wasn't me. Come on let's go and see the bastard who did this"  
  
  
  
Two weeks later Ortega was behind bars. The police and the team had got him before the court as quickly as they could. With all the evidence he was given the death penalty.  
  
"Your team is good" he said before he was led away." I never thought you would ever find Fransisco and alive as well. Never mind, one day someone will forfill my dream of seeing him dead"  
  
It took the police to hold back Jake and Cody and stop them from killing him there and then. Alex and Jake were at the hospital, they had never really left Frank alone since that day. He was off the ventilator and was conscious but he just stared into space. He didn't seem to recognize anyone and couldn't do anything for himself.  
  
"Isn't there any way of finding out how much damage was done?" asked Jake.  
  
"Not really, all we can do is wait. Physically he seems to be on the mend. His kidneys are working again and his lungs seem to be fine. All the drugs etc are out of his system but that is where our treatment ends. The rest is up to him. We'll look after him for as long as it takes"  
  
"Doctor, wouldn't it be better for him if he was somewhere familiar rather than be in here. We can help him more somewhere else than what we can in this place" said Alex.  
  
"I'll think about it and talk with the consultant. I'll let you know tomorrow. I personally think it would help him but it is not my decision. Okay"  
  
They nodded and Jake went to phone Cody to see what was going on at the court. Alex sat beside Frank and held his hand. At least it was warm now and not cold like the day they found him.  
  
"Frank, we have asked them if we can take you home. We…I can look after you better. I love you, you know. I don't know if you can hear me, but I will not leave you again"  
  
Alex left Jake at the hospital, she had something she wanted to do. Going to see an old friend, who dealt in real estate, she persuaded him to rent her an old farmhouse in Montana. It was furnished and far enough away that no-one would bother her.  
  
"There is a small lake almost outside the back door, all the things you would need and there is a shop that sells everything about forty miles away. You sure this is what you want"  
  
"Yes, I have a friend who has been ill, well he still is ill and this place will be ideal. Can I move in now?"  
  
"Here are the keys, go up there when you like"  
  
She thanked him and arranged a flight up to Montana and then drove to the farmhouse. She wanted everything to be ready when she took Frank there. Stocking the freezer with food and making sure that there was logs for the fire, TV and everything else that she needed, she drove back to the airport and waited for a flight back to LA.  
  
"Where is Alex?" asked Cody.  
  
"She hasn't been here since yesterday, said she had something important to do and would be back in a couple of days"  
  
By the time she got back to the hospital, they were getting worried about her. She told them that she wanted to talk to the doctor and then she would explain everything to them.  
  
"Any idea what is going on?" asked Monica.  
  
"No, but I am sure we will find out any time soon" replied Jake "And I am sure it has something to do with Frank"  
  
Later that afternoon, Alex came back into the room and asked Jake to get the others there. Within half an hour, they all waited for her to explain what she had been up to.  
  
"I am leaving UC, I have given my resignation to Bradford and sent one to the office for you all. I have rented a place in Montana where I am taking Frank. The doctor has told me that he can go and that this would be ideal for him. I hope you understand"  
  
"You're taking Frank all the way up there" replied Cody "Why, he would be better off here"  
  
"Why, the hospital has done all they can for him. Physically he is getting stronger but he needs someone to look after him. No-one knows how long this condition will last. It could end tomorrow or be with him the rest of his life. No-one knows what damage has been done to him. I love him, as you guessed Jake and I am willing to give up my career and life to be with him"  
  
They paced the room and thought about what she said. None of them wanted her to resign and two of them weren't sure about her taking Frank. Just then the doctor came in and asked what they had decided.  
  
"Well I am taking him to Montana, alone. I don't know how the others feel about it but I guess they are not sure it would be a good idea"  
  
"I feel what Alex is doing is the right thing. We could keep Frank here indefinitely but it doesn't mean that he will get any better than what he would there. He would have fresh air, everything he needs and if anything did happen, I have given Alex the number of a friend who will be there to help"  
  
"How are you going to get him there?"  
  
"I have been given the use of a private jet from a friend of his, once we have landed we will drive to the house. I will be fine, I want to do this"  
  
It took a couple of days to get through to them but in the end they agreed with what she was doing. Jake was going to miss her but she told them that in about a month, they were all to go up there and spent some time with her and Frank. Jake took aside.  
  
"What if he never gets better, look at him, he has to have everything done for him at the moment, even…well you know. This isn't the Frank that you fell in love with, it is someone completely different"  
  
"That is where you are wrong Jake, he is exactly the same person, he is just lost somewhere and I want to help find him again. I know he will get better, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not this year but he will, given time, love and anything else he needs"  
  
"In that case, you remember to ring me the moment you need something okay. Forget the others, I will be there in hours"  
  
He pulled her into a cuddle and they went to get Frank ready for the journey. He responded to their help although he couldn't do it for himself and he would need a wheelchair for the time being. He hadn't spoken or shown any sign that he was even thinking or knew that they were there.  
  
  
  
Frank felt himself waking up but something was wrong. He couldn't see nor hear properly. There were voices in the distance but none of them were clear. He wanted to be able to let them know he was awake but there was nothing he could do. His mind screamed out, what had Ortega done to him. He tried to move his hand to give them a sign but he found he couldn't move either.  
  
Voices, all he could hear were voices, mixed together, not making sense and then one voice, one small voice became clearer. He recognized the voice but couldn't remember who it was. Why couldn't they see that he needed their help, he was trapped in a dark, dim world and he had no idea how to get out.  
  
  
  
Within a week Alex and Frank were at the farmhouse. She sat in him the chair on the verandah so that he could see the lake and get the air. She waited on him hand and foot but it was breaking her heart to see him like this.  
  
He had been so self assured, so strong. He had his faults but then didn't everyone. She had found out that he had lost his wife in a siege about eighteen months ago, that was why he disappeared for six months before he had come to UC. This information came via the President a few days before they had left for the farmhouse. She never told the others, the president felt that it might help her to help him.  
  
"Frank, come on you have to eat something and then we will go for a walk" she said one morning "It snowed last night and it looks lovely out there"  
  
Frank felt something go round his neck, but he couldn't make out what it was and the tunnel was not getting any smaller. His mind screamed out to him to fight this thing but he didn't have the strength, not yet. He could hear a voice in the background, talking but he couldn't hear it clearly and there were sensations on his hands but he could do nothing. It was like something was holding him back and no matter what he did, he couldn't get through it, to be able to reach that tunnel entrance.  
  
Alex had put a chain round his neck, a Star of David, it belonged to her father. She pushed him along the path to where the trees met the lake. The snow was lovely, everywhere white. She stopped and putting the brake on the chair, walked to the lake and broke the ice so that the birds could get a drink.  
  
Frank's eyes were suddenly focusing and he could make out a figure bending down, then the figure got up and walked towards him. He saw that it was Alex, he remembered her. Things were coming back to him, like someone had opened the floodgates.  
  
Alex sat on the bench beside the chair and put her hand on the arm. Suddenly she felt a hand touch hers and when she looked, she saw that Frank had put his on top of hers. She looked at him and he was looking at her, tears running down his face.  
  
"Frank…oh God Frank…you are going to be alright" she shouted.  
  
He heard every word, it was like the volume had been turned up and the brightness control turned on. He could see and hear everything and he could move his hands. But when he went to say something, he couldn't.  
  
"Shh Frank…don't try everything so quick. Let's go back to the house"  
  
He nodded at her and she smiled so wide that she thought her face would break. Tears streamed down her face as she pushed him back to the house and then helped him up the steps and into the lounge. She went to get him out of the chair and onto the sofa but his hand stopped her.  
  
"Come on Frank, you can't get up yet, you need to do this slowly. It has been nearly two months since you walked. Tomorrow, we will try it tomorrow" she said.  
  
He understood and let her help him. It was a wonderful feeling being able to see and hear again and move, even slightly. He was determined that it wouldn't be long before he walked again. He motioned to the notepad on the table.  
  
She gave it too him and he wrote on it for about ten minutes before giving it back to her. It had a few spelling mistakes but that didn't matter. She read it out loud to let him know she understood.  
  
'I cant speak I have tried but it wont come. It is so good to hear and see what is going on. I have been in a tunnel for so long. Why are we here and where are the uthers. Why is it onli you here'  
  
"Oh Frank it is okay, you will speak soon don't worry. I brought you here to help you and the others are back at the office. I resigned to be with you. We will be here as long as you need to be. We all thought you would never get better, Ortega nearly killed you, you did die once but we got you back. He is on death row, he will never hurt you again"  
  
He wrote 'why resign, whot happened' she told him that nothing happened and was about to tell him that she loved him but thought better of it. Writing another note he asked why but she never answered. He took her arm in his hand and pointed to the paper. WHY was in big letters.  
  
"Because I love you Frank that is why" she said looking away.  
  
He patted her arm and pointed to the paper where he had written 'I love you too' She looked at him and even though he could not smile she saw the love in the now sparkling eyes. She knew that with time he was going to be fine.  
  
It was another month before Jake came up to see her and Frank. She had not told him anything about Franks recovery she would leave that as a surprise. The others were coming up a week later if Jake rang them to tell them it was okay.  
  
"Jake it is nice to see you. You got through okay, the snow has been pretty bad up here. We haven't been able to go anywhere for a while but still it is nice and cosy in here. We have the TV and the log fire, food, what more could we want" she said.  
  
"How is Frank, any change?" he asked.  
  
"How much of a change do you want Jake" said a voice behind him.  
  
He turned round to see Frank standing there with a grin on his face. He couldn't believe it and ran to him and shook his hand and then pulled him into a hug.  
  
"Hey steady on" said Frank "I know you are please to see me but"  
  
"Sorry Frank, it's just it is brilliant to see you up and about. We never thought you would ever get better, you were in a pretty bad way"  
  
They sat down and Frank told him all that he remembered from the time he was kidnapped till he saw Alex by the lake. He called her over and she sat on the arm of the sofa beside them.  
  
"So when do you feel up to coming back then Frank?" asked Jake.  
  
"I'm not" he replied.  
  
Jake looked stunned.  
  
"You should be getting a letter and a new boss in the next month. I rang the President about three days ago and told him what I was doing. He understood completely and wished me all the luck in the world. You will have to train someone else to take over UC. We won't be there"  
  
"But now you are better, you can move back to the city and come back. We need you Frank, I never thought I would say that. Alex you tell him, please"  
  
"Sorry Jake. You see about a week ago we managed to drive to the shop that supplies everyone round here and it turned out that he is also the local preacher and teacher. There is a small town of about forty people right next to the shop, I never knew that. Anyway, he agreed to help us and we were married four days ago, before Frank rang the President. We are staying here, starting a new life here. Money is no problem, I got a good salary when I left and Frank had some owed to him from the government so we won't want for anything for a long time."  
  
"Married…you and Frank…what are the others going to say?"  
  
"Jake, I want you to go back…in a few days of course…tell the others and tell them not to come up here. it would be for the best. One day we will come and see them. You have been a good friend Jake, you can stay when ever you want. It is best for all that I make a clean break. I know that you are leaving too so it doesn't matter"  
  
Jake looked at him and wondered how the hell he knew that he had handed in his resignation as well.  
  
"The President knows everything Jake. What will you do?" asked Alex.  
  
"I don't know, yet. I haven't told anyone, so far"  
  
They spent the rest of the day talking and eating and going over old times. Then Alex went to bed leaving them alone. Frank gave Jake an envelope which he opened. Inside was the deeds to a small property in the town nearby, if he wanted it.  
  
"Think about it Jake…our business is too dangerous…I realized that, almost too late. I don't want the same thing to happen to you. Get out while you have a chance and move out of the city"  
  
Jake thanked him and told him he would think about it. He was still getting over the fact that him and Alex were married. He would leave the next day and be back at the end of the week. Now that Frank knew he wanted to get all lose ends tied up.  
  
As they waved him goodbye, Alex wondered if they would see him again.  
  
"Oh I think we will be seeing a lot more of Jake Mrs Donovan, a lot more"  
  
He smiled as he shut the door behind them and was glad in a way of the events that had led him to this position even though they had been dangerous and life threatening. It had taken them to make him see what was important in his life again and it wasn't as a Undercover agent. 


End file.
